Shoe calk



B1B. WEST SHOE CALK Dec. 3, 1935.

Original Filed Feb. 1'7, 1931 INVENTOR.

BY M, M W

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Original application February 17, 1931, Serial No. 516,373. Divided and this application June 27, 1934, Serial No. 732,633

4 Claims.

This application is a division of one filed February 17, 1931, Serial No. 516,373, now Patent Number 1,975,133, issued October 2, 1934, and the invention to which it pertains is an improved shoe calk for use on the soles and heels of golf shoes, hunting and hiking boots and other footwear, the primary purpose of the invention being to provide a device of this character that may be easily and quickly attached to the sole or heel of a boot or shoe by driving, as with a hammer or the like, and that will hold very securely.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a very durable shoe calk that is suitably constructed, as by die forming, from a single piece of relatively heavy sheet metal.

Other objects will appear as I proceed to describe the invention in detail by reference to the accompanying drawing wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation and Fig. 2 a plan view of my improved shoe calk; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the calk with its prongs driven into, and spread within, the leather of a sole or heel; Fig. 4 is a bottom view of a boot or shoe with a proposed arrangement of the calks on the sole and heel; and Fig. 5 is a detail of the blank from which the calk is formed.

The present invention is peculiarly adapted to the use of a relatively heavy gauge stock in that the method of forming it necessitates little or no flow of metal. The calk is shaped from the blank illustrated in Fig. 5, and in the formation of the body portion, designated I, and which is generally pyramidal in shape, the metal is folded in, so to speak, as at 2, between ribs 3 from the lower ends of which prongs 4 extend. The prongs are chamfered or beveled at their ends, preferably on their inner sides, as shown at 5, so that, by reason of a camming action of the beveled or chamfered ends, the prongs will be diverted from a straight course and spread within the material of the sole or heel, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Obviously,'the prongs may be chamfered or beveled on their outer sides instead of on their inner sides so as to cause them to converge as they are driven and grip the portion of the leather beneath the body of the calk in the manner of a claw; or some of the prongs may be beveled on the inner side and others on the outer side so as to have the advantages of both the converging and diverging prongs.

While the calk is adapted to be driven by striking it directly with .a hammer or the like, a tool having a socket designed to receive the calk may be interposed between the calk and hammer to prevent marring the calk in the process of applying it. This will be so readily understood that illustration is'deemed unnecessary. Again, the .calks may be pressed on by a suitable implement or machine, such method being especially appro- 5 priate when applying the calks to shoes in a factory.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my invention provides a simple and inexpensive calk that is durable and that holds very securely With- 10 in the material of the sole or heel in such manner as to effectively resist being turned over or kicked loose When in use.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A shoe calk comprising a relatively deep hollow body portion of sheet metal that is generally pyramidal in shape, and prongs integral with said body portion and projecting from the base thereof at the points corresponding to the corners of the pyramid in substantially parallel relation to the axis of the body portion.

2. A shoe calk comprising a relatively deep hollow sheet metal body portion that is generally pyramidal in shape, and prongs integral with said body portion and projecting from the base thereof at the points corresponding to the corners of the pyramid, the prongs being of the same thickness as the body portion and beveled on one side at their ends to cause them to divert from a straight course when driven into a sole or heel.

3. A shoe calk comprising a hollow sheet metal body portion that is generally pyramidal in shape and from the apex of which a plurality of ribs diverge and between which the metal is folded inwardly, and a prong projecting from the outer end of each rib in substantially parallel relation to the axis of the body portion, the ends of said prongs being beveled on one side so as to cause the prongs to divert from a straight course when driven into a sole or heel.

4. A shoe calk comprising a hollow sheet metal body portion that is approximately pyramidal in shape having four ribs diverging from the apex thereof and spaced about 90 apart, the sheet metal between the ribs being folded inwardly, and prongs projecting from the outer endsof the ribs in substantially parallel relation to the axis of the body portion and having their outer ends chamfered on their inner sides so as to cause the prongs to diverge when driven into a sole or heel.

BRENNAN B. WEST. 

